Inside the box was an animal day care. You HAD to come pet the animals.
Kailee even put out the hand sanitizer just like any petting zoo.
It was a good rest and recovery day.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Christmas Toys
The kids received a lot of great toys for Christmas. Today we spent some time resting and playing with our new toys. This was one of the top hits for the day. A box.
Inside the box was an animal day care. You HAD to come pet the animals.
Kailee even put out the hand sanitizer just like any petting zoo.
It was a good rest and recovery day.
Inside the box was an animal day care. You HAD to come pet the animals.
Kailee even put out the hand sanitizer just like any petting zoo.
It was a good rest and recovery day.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
After Christmas Hike
exploring the snow, foot prints, dog tracks etc. Short but fun.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Brewing up some goodness
ahead. It was looking good and we had fun.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Bar Week
So this past week I got back to the gym to lift some weights. If you've ever taken an extended break from lifting weights you know when you return, there is no way your picking up were you left of. If you did, you know, you paid for it dearly the next day and the next day too!
So, I've been going easy. It looks funny but I can get out of bed the next day! In other words, I have just been lifting the bar. Just letting the muscles know what's coming. You know, foreplay.
Maybe I'll add weights next week.
So, I've been going easy. It looks funny but I can get out of bed the next day! In other words, I have just been lifting the bar. Just letting the muscles know what's coming. You know, foreplay.
Maybe I'll add weights next week.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Video of my last race.
Did you see me?
It'll be on Altitude TV! Check it out.
Thursday, December 17, 2009 7:00 PM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Sunday, December 20, 2009 1:00 PM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Friday, December 25, 2009 4:00 PM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Sunday, December 27, 2009 2:30 AM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Monday, December 28, 2009 1:00 PM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Thursday, December 31, 2009 2:30 PM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Saturday, January 02, 2010 2:30 PM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 4:30 PM Colorado State Cyclocross Championships
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Making Changes
So a few days ago I wrote about how the 2009 race season had gone. I believe there is room to improve for next year but I would like to be smart about it. This time of year is not about logging the miles or getting in the hard intervals. So I’ve been trying to clean up one of the areas that’s needed some help, diet.
I don’t feel like my diet has been bad but it could certainly be better. As to how much better, we’ll see. My goal is to improve my diet and get down to racing weight before the start of the road and mountain bike season.
To accomplish this task, I have enlisted the help of my wife. She’s really the family cook and controls all things food at our house. Thankfully we’ve both been interested in improving our diet so the adventure begins. It’s always exciting to make changes in your established diet, your favorite meals and existing habbits.
For the past week and a half I’ve been on basically on Vegan diet. For those of you that know me your probably surprised, hell I’m surprised. But I gave it a try and I’ve felt great! It’s a bit of a struggle but things have been going well so far.
We’ll have to see if it sticks and has the intended results but so far things are going in the right direction.
I don’t feel like my diet has been bad but it could certainly be better. As to how much better, we’ll see. My goal is to improve my diet and get down to racing weight before the start of the road and mountain bike season.
To accomplish this task, I have enlisted the help of my wife. She’s really the family cook and controls all things food at our house. Thankfully we’ve both been interested in improving our diet so the adventure begins. It’s always exciting to make changes in your established diet, your favorite meals and existing habbits.
For the past week and a half I’ve been on basically on Vegan diet. For those of you that know me your probably surprised, hell I’m surprised. But I gave it a try and I’ve felt great! It’s a bit of a struggle but things have been going well so far.We’ll have to see if it sticks and has the intended results but so far things are going in the right direction.
Monday, December 14, 2009
A sign....
Bicycle racing (in the U.S.) has really come to an end after this past weekend. The Cyclocross National Championships were this past weekend. This video shows it must be time to hang up the cleats til spring. I had a lot of fun keeping up with race updates and seeing how well local Colorado racers and friends had done. Great Job! I'll have to make it to one of these sometime.
As for me, this past weekend was about family time! Ice skating, Santa Claus, food and family. Refreshes the soul!
If you can't see the video click here
As for me, this past weekend was about family time! Ice skating, Santa Claus, food and family. Refreshes the soul!
If you can't see the video click here
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Time to Reflect
The 2009 race season is over. Before diving into 2010, lets first talk about what just happened.
I got in somewhere around 4 road/crit races, 6 cross country mountain bike races and 13 cyclocross races. Totaling 23 races… not bad. On the Road my average placing was 28th out of and average of 74 racers, finishing in the top 37%. Mountain bike races I averaged 32nd place out of 42 racers, finishing in bottom 25% (I did upgrade to sport this year). In cyclocross races I averaged 12th place out of 59 racers finishing in the top 24%.
Road racing was not my focus this year and I used the races to build some fitness for the later races. That being said, results were not all that bad. I even raced in the 30+ open practice crits and had a lot of fun. They were fast and much safer. The cat 4 practice crits were a little scary.
Mountain biking was where I wanted to do better but I sucked. I haven’t raced many mountain bike races but it felt like there was one issue after another. I didn’t have the correct fitness, skills, equipment or anything else. People I was hoping to be competitive with killed me. It was sad and discouraging. I did manage to always finish and not come in DFL…. so there’s that.
During cyclocross I had my most consistent season ever. I occasionally surprised myself but I generally finished in the low teens. Even though people ahead of me were getting moved up, I never seemed to improve my finish. Every race appeared the same, started good or maybe a little too hard; then I faded at the end of the race. First few laps were good, and then it was damage control/survival mode.
As for season goals:
I did improve my Lookout HC time but only by a few seconds, missing my goal by about 20 seconds.
I didn’t get as many upgrade points as I wanted in cyclocross, but I did have two top 10 finishes.
I never did hit my desired race weight and by the end of the season I was going the wrong way.
mmmmmm…… looks like room for improvement. But were and what?
I got in somewhere around 4 road/crit races, 6 cross country mountain bike races and 13 cyclocross races. Totaling 23 races… not bad. On the Road my average placing was 28th out of and average of 74 racers, finishing in the top 37%. Mountain bike races I averaged 32nd place out of 42 racers, finishing in bottom 25% (I did upgrade to sport this year). In cyclocross races I averaged 12th place out of 59 racers finishing in the top 24%.
Road racing was not my focus this year and I used the races to build some fitness for the later races. That being said, results were not all that bad. I even raced in the 30+ open practice crits and had a lot of fun. They were fast and much safer. The cat 4 practice crits were a little scary.Mountain biking was where I wanted to do better but I sucked. I haven’t raced many mountain bike races but it felt like there was one issue after another. I didn’t have the correct fitness, skills, equipment or anything else. People I was hoping to be competitive with killed me. It was sad and discouraging. I did manage to always finish and not come in DFL…. so there’s that.
During cyclocross I had my most consistent season ever. I occasionally surprised myself but I generally finished in the low teens. Even though people ahead of me were getting moved up, I never seemed to improve my finish. Every race appeared the same, started good or maybe a little too hard; then I faded at the end of the race. First few laps were good, and then it was damage control/survival mode.As for season goals:
I did improve my Lookout HC time but only by a few seconds, missing my goal by about 20 seconds.
I didn’t get as many upgrade points as I wanted in cyclocross, but I did have two top 10 finishes.
I never did hit my desired race weight and by the end of the season I was going the wrong way.
mmmmmm…… looks like room for improvement. But were and what?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Colorado CX State Championship
This past Saturday I was able to race the Colorado Cyclocross State Championship race. My wife was still out of town for her marathon in Vegas, my sister-in-law, Michele, and her daughter, Rose, totally kicked in big time to bail me out and let me mix it up one last time. Without their help, I would have missed out… Thanks!!
Going into the race, I knew it was going to be cold! I’ve raced a few times below freezing but not many, so getting the right clothing selection would be important. There were a couple of inches of snow on the ground but it was pretty dry and wouldn’t be too much of an issue unless it started to melt. I arrived early to give myself time to figure out the clothing issue, pre-ride the coarse and get a good warm-up. During my first lap I came across an ominous sign of things to come. A junior racer had crashed and an ambulance had been called to take them to the hospital. I don’t know the details of the incident but I really hope they are ok.
The coarse had a little bit of everything, flat power sections, off camber, barriers, steep hills both up and down and a fun little “spiral of death”. With the temperatures slowly rising the conditions of the coarse were quickly changing. I felt like a racer with pure speed wasn’t going to have a huge advantage during this race. Staying upright would be very important. The person with the fewest mistakes would have a big advantage. I was confident because I’ve had little to no issue with the technical stuff this year but you aren’t alone on during the race. Anything can happen.
Last year I was called up to the second row, this year I was in the front row. With 80 people lined up behind me it’s nice to know they have to come around to beat you; however, if something goes wrong, they aren’t stopping for nothing! Once we were all lined up we had a few minutes to “relax” before the start. It’s always awkward, racers are focused and nervous, I try to relax and think about other things. What is getting all worked up at the start line going to do besides get your heart rate up?
We got the whistle and were off. I tried to stay near the front but not on the front, driving yourself like a dog into the slippery mush could quickly result in beating your head against the wall as your crash, chase and crash. So steady was the name of the game. It was going to be hard so I conserved and tried to stay upright. I figured the early leaders would quickly come back. I was right, an example of this, a friend of mine went off the front on the first lap, his technical skills aren’t that strong and finished in the 50’s. Another strong racer would pass me, crash in front of me, chase and pass, then crash again. Finally he succumbed to the effort and finished a few positions back.
I had a few bobbles but no crashes. In cyclocross you’re always going to have a few bobbles, you have to let them go. The mental aspect can mess up your race if you dwell on them. Just worry about hitting the next obstacle correctly and quickly.
I was on the first chase group for the first couple of laps but had a series of bobbles on the slippery off camber backside section. After that I couldn’t close the gap. So I raced my own race and tried to limit the damage. I finished 12th, better than my customary 14th this year. More importantly I felt pretty good and had a great time! It was a great season, now it's time to relax and start dreaming about next year.
Going into the race, I knew it was going to be cold! I’ve raced a few times below freezing but not many, so getting the right clothing selection would be important. There were a couple of inches of snow on the ground but it was pretty dry and wouldn’t be too much of an issue unless it started to melt. I arrived early to give myself time to figure out the clothing issue, pre-ride the coarse and get a good warm-up. During my first lap I came across an ominous sign of things to come. A junior racer had crashed and an ambulance had been called to take them to the hospital. I don’t know the details of the incident but I really hope they are ok.
The coarse had a little bit of everything, flat power sections, off camber, barriers, steep hills both up and down and a fun little “spiral of death”. With the temperatures slowly rising the conditions of the coarse were quickly changing. I felt like a racer with pure speed wasn’t going to have a huge advantage during this race. Staying upright would be very important. The person with the fewest mistakes would have a big advantage. I was confident because I’ve had little to no issue with the technical stuff this year but you aren’t alone on during the race. Anything can happen.
Last year I was called up to the second row, this year I was in the front row. With 80 people lined up behind me it’s nice to know they have to come around to beat you; however, if something goes wrong, they aren’t stopping for nothing! Once we were all lined up we had a few minutes to “relax” before the start. It’s always awkward, racers are focused and nervous, I try to relax and think about other things. What is getting all worked up at the start line going to do besides get your heart rate up?
We got the whistle and were off. I tried to stay near the front but not on the front, driving yourself like a dog into the slippery mush could quickly result in beating your head against the wall as your crash, chase and crash. So steady was the name of the game. It was going to be hard so I conserved and tried to stay upright. I figured the early leaders would quickly come back. I was right, an example of this, a friend of mine went off the front on the first lap, his technical skills aren’t that strong and finished in the 50’s. Another strong racer would pass me, crash in front of me, chase and pass, then crash again. Finally he succumbed to the effort and finished a few positions back.
I had a few bobbles but no crashes. In cyclocross you’re always going to have a few bobbles, you have to let them go. The mental aspect can mess up your race if you dwell on them. Just worry about hitting the next obstacle correctly and quickly.
I was on the first chase group for the first couple of laps but had a series of bobbles on the slippery off camber backside section. After that I couldn’t close the gap. So I raced my own race and tried to limit the damage. I finished 12th, better than my customary 14th this year. More importantly I felt pretty good and had a great time! It was a great season, now it's time to relax and start dreaming about next year.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Breakfast
"Birthday Cake". We sang happy birthday and ate almost the entire
"Cake".
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Mr Mom
Exciting times at my house. My wife flew out to Vegas this morning to take part in the Rock n' Roll Marathon. She's been training throughout this fall to get ready. I believe we've worked well together, she has gotten all her runs in for the Marathon and I've been allowed to race a full cyclocross season. We've made compromises, I've missed some races and she has even had to do some of her longer runs on a treadmill (OUCH, mind numbing!). I would like to add in my defense, her treadmill runs were due to the weather. Anyway, wish her luck on Sunday. She's been looking to improve her on her last Marathon time, I think she'll do great.
So I've taken the next couple of days off work to watch the kids, through Monday. So far, ~12 hours in, things have been pretty good. I made all the appointments (preschool, gym and gymnastics) and managed to get home with everyone and everything. No major injuries or anything. Hell, I even got some work done around the house. (With all the activities going on this fall, there's a lot of need in that department.)
I have a sitter all lined up so I can hit the last cyclocross race of the season this Saturday, the Colorado State Championship. The weather has been very cold and there's snow on the ground. It's not going to warm up before Saturday so this will be an interesting race. Whatever, I don't even care, I'll be there! My team is still in Third place and I want to make sure we keep it.
Once this weekend is over, I wonder what the hell I'm going to do next weekend. Both of us finishing our athletic endeavors on the same weekend. Maybe I'll stay in my PJ's all weekend, eat bacon, watch the 100 channels of TV I get (even thou there never seems to be anything worth watching) and surf the web.
So I've taken the next couple of days off work to watch the kids, through Monday. So far, ~12 hours in, things have been pretty good. I made all the appointments (preschool, gym and gymnastics) and managed to get home with everyone and everything. No major injuries or anything. Hell, I even got some work done around the house. (With all the activities going on this fall, there's a lot of need in that department.)
I have a sitter all lined up so I can hit the last cyclocross race of the season this Saturday, the Colorado State Championship. The weather has been very cold and there's snow on the ground. It's not going to warm up before Saturday so this will be an interesting race. Whatever, I don't even care, I'll be there! My team is still in Third place and I want to make sure we keep it.
Once this weekend is over, I wonder what the hell I'm going to do next weekend. Both of us finishing our athletic endeavors on the same weekend. Maybe I'll stay in my PJ's all weekend, eat bacon, watch the 100 channels of TV I get (even thou there never seems to be anything worth watching) and surf the web.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Most Careers Pay Money
Another good one. I feel like I've had some of these discussions before. Especially since I had to miss some family Thanksgiving activities to hit this past Saturday's race.
Link here if you can't see it below.
Link here if you can't see it below.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Red Rock Velo CX #2
Sunday I was back at the races. The weatherman called for snow and cold temperatures but it ended up being a beautiful day! Sun and perfect temperatures for racing cyclocross. I woke up feeling pretty good and headed out to the venue early to get in a nice easy longer warm-up. The park is only a couple of miles from my work so I was really looking forward to this race. I wasn’t let down, the coarse was spectacular. Short power climbs, dirt, pavement, stairs, sand, grass, flat power drags and sweeping descents for a short recovery.
The team had another good turnout. We had five racers in a much larger field, compared to Saturday. Our goal, finish high enough to get more points for the team classification. I got a nice call up since I’m still in the mix with all the BCR points. The whistle blew and we were off. It was a short drag up the hill then onto some pretty bumpy stuff. The coarse ended up being very difficult to pass on. There were a lot of turns forcing the field to be stretched out quickly. I grabbed onto the first chase group and road defensively, trying to keep things strung out and difficult to pass. I wasn’t in a terrible position and no one racing from the teams just behind us in the point’s classification was ahead of me.
I was good for the first half of the race then, per the norm this year, I started to fade. A guy from a marked team passed me and I tried to give chase but it wasn’t in me. So my goal became limit the damage. I road the coarse cleanly but by the end of the race, when your pretty spent, things were getting sloppy.
In the end I finished right were I’ve been finishing all year, 14th. Sadly none of my other teammates made it into the points. We have one more race this coming Saturday, the State Championship. Between the two races this past weekend we really made a leap in the team points classification and are now about 20 points a head of the chasing team. We should be safe for 3rd place in the team competition as long as we get someone in the top 20 on Saturday and they don’t win or get more racers to score.
The team had another good turnout. We had five racers in a much larger field, compared to Saturday. Our goal, finish high enough to get more points for the team classification. I got a nice call up since I’m still in the mix with all the BCR points. The whistle blew and we were off. It was a short drag up the hill then onto some pretty bumpy stuff. The coarse ended up being very difficult to pass on. There were a lot of turns forcing the field to be stretched out quickly. I grabbed onto the first chase group and road defensively, trying to keep things strung out and difficult to pass. I wasn’t in a terrible position and no one racing from the teams just behind us in the point’s classification was ahead of me.I was good for the first half of the race then, per the norm this year, I started to fade. A guy from a marked team passed me and I tried to give chase but it wasn’t in me. So my goal became limit the damage. I road the coarse cleanly but by the end of the race, when your pretty spent, things were getting sloppy.
In the end I finished right were I’ve been finishing all year, 14th. Sadly none of my other teammates made it into the points. We have one more race this coming Saturday, the State Championship. Between the two races this past weekend we really made a leap in the team points classification and are now about 20 points a head of the chasing team. We should be safe for 3rd place in the team competition as long as we get someone in the top 20 on Saturday and they don’t win or get more racers to score.Photo's by Six Degrees to Slush
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